Beware this person

Beware of the person posting images on the Web under the moniker of

rockstar8x (Facebook page is currently being reported. Repeatedly)


working out of Vietnam. He is known to take images of children, and claim them as his own. How do I know this? He had the misfortune of using the picture (2, actually) of a child of a personal friend. Love that child, and knowing that his image is being used in such a manner is INFURIATING!!!!


Can we suspect this person as a child-porn suspect? Please? Stealing pictures of children is...sick!

Please help. Trying really hard to calm down an irate mother...

Reflecting and moving on...

Before moving on to 2012 and the blank slate it presents, waiting for us to write our own futures, taking a moment to reflect on the past year of 2011.

Events we celebrated. Moments of tragedy. Friends we have gained. Family and friends that we have lost. New contacts. Ideas. Challenges. That we can do this, because of the sacrifice of others. Take a moment to appreciate what you have, and not to worry about what might have been.

Wrap that up into a nice package. Make it a part of you. Cherish it with your heart and soul as, for better or for worse, it is now what makes you, you.

Have a Happy New Year in 2012, folks.

Merry Christmas!

Safe and happy holidays. May you each find your peace. Enjoy your time with the ones closest to you.

Shooting again!!!

So nice to be outside. Almost forgot what it was like. I was watching the sky all day, literally, hoping the sky would hold. Rain is in the forecast for the week, so this would be the front end of things. Supposed to be a good time do things that involve the sky. Seems to hold true, no?

Coming out of a shell...

Finally got around to creating an artist Facebook Page.


Now I have to put something artistic in it. Preferably by someone good. Any suggestions?

Oahu Photographers: Lysandra Cook Photography

If you plan to be on Oahu, and are looking for a photographer, here is another wonderful option:

Lysandra loves working with couples, seniors, and families. It will make her extra happy if you bring your pet!

Serves all areas of Oahu and she loves to travel so just ask about outer island services.

I can personally attest to the fact that she is intelligent, witty, engaging, beautiful, and...what am I missing? Oh yeah, she's a great photographer!

http://lysandracookphotography.blogspot.com/

(Lucy, I swiped your header; sorry!)

Get your 2012 DOMO Calendars!

Hey, guys! A "must-do!" If you, or someone your know and/or love like DOMO, you have to get your copy of the 2010 DOMO calendar from Amazon! Get both!

Better, get many! :)

(Disclaimer: I know the photographer, Chris Gritti, and love the heck out of him and his family!)

Playing with Lens reversals, stage 1

Since the fabulous Roni has made me revisit (and like) the world of lens-reversal close-ups, I thought to push it a little.

Took the standard setup, and inserted 68mm of extension tubes into the stack. Extension tubes help to decrease the minimum focus distance, so you can get even closer. Use with caution; you can get so close that you block light.

(Wobble-focus technique is in play for all of the following. Yes, I did have and carried a tripod, but I really need a focusing stage...)

Anyway, pointed the stack at a known reference: a U.S. quarter dollar coin


Then pointed it at the ever-available Agapanthus bloom:


(this is the same bloom, sans extension tubes)


And then, one for fun


At some point, I will try this with a bellows extension. Definitely need a tripod for that, but the bellows has a built-in slide, so it should be a little easier.

Now excuse me while I go clean my filthy sensors...o.O

Escape & Recovery

Wow. A sunset. Without power lines.

Been out of the "real" photo-taking circulation for about 2 months. Couple of things kinda messed me up. Made do with miscellaneous "junk" shots nearby.

Today was the first time I felt comfortable getting out. Not my best work, but it was just so freakin' nice to just stand there and watch.

Vision, Color, or the lack thereof

Between the copyright/fair use hullabaloo, photographer's block (like writers block), the endless stream of blog posts and articles, I have been pondering what my vision is, or if I even have one.

Vision, for me, is what's in my head. I am aware that there usually something in mind when looking through the viewfinder, to the point that the vision in the head colors what I am seeing through that viewfinder. Which can be bad; there is prejudice there, which can prevent the whimsical, the moment, from happening for me. Too controlling, maybe. Serendipity is my sometimes savior; expensive way to get artsy, though. Absolutely, just capturing the scene in the viewfinder, however, is not what I do, or desire. Photo-journalist, I am not. Even in grade school, I had a decided slant towards the abstract; it's one of my more vivid memories from the art academy.

How I developed my vision? I'm pretty sure it was from looking at the work of my betters, predecessors, friends, along with my own personal views and feelings. Possibly matches my food preferences; big, bold flavors, not much on pretty. Although, I can be influenced/coerced by pretty :)

I know that I visualize as I read. Which is usually science fiction or fantasy. Plausibility gets in the way of me enjoying other genres. The farther from possible reality as we know it, the better. Then the images that form in my head are rather fanciful, both bright and brooding.

Another thing possibly coloring my vision or perception is my desire for privacy. I know, I'm writing a blog, and I post on the World Wide Whatevers; what's privacy? I guess I, as a person, desire some control over what I reveal about myself, and what I keep behind closed doors. As such, I tend to respect the rights of others to do the same. Makes things like street photography a bit difficult. Again, faceless portraiture, I can do. Don't seem to have a problem with that.

So, execution of my vision. That's where the reading, researching, discussions come into play. But in the end, I really need to get out and shoot. Apply all this stuff, find out what works for me, and what doesn't, but may work in the future. Don't really know anything until I try. In the trying, I have come to the following interim conclusions; things change, after all.

• Product shots. It's about control and repeatability. It's about seeing light, when there is none yet. This, I can do, but gets boring very quickly. Don't have the mindset to do this for a long time. Maybe to incorporate it as a part of a package
  
• Landscapes. Seems to be what I do, it's the "comfort zone." Being able to just enjoy the view is the big benefit. But that needs to be stretched; different places, different perspectives, different focus.
  
  
• I have pretty much determined that I am not a portrait person. Which is interesting, as you have a willing subject in front of you, asking to be made beautiful. Maybe that's the problem, can I make them beautiful, objectively, without judgement? Don't know. Character flaw on my part. Recently tagged along on a shoot, piggy-backing some setups, hopefully without getting in the way. While doing some post-processing, I caught myself "seeing" forms that weren't there. Revealing.
  
  I can do stuff with people in the scene, but seem to have issues with a person as the subject. And even then, the people need to be faceless, unidentifiable. Not having kids may have something to do with it, lacking that carrot to desire to capture people as the subject. Maybe I have to twist that thought, and look at it as an emotion, with people as the vehicle, so the focus is on the "doing," not the person. That might work. Something to work on.

Work in progress. Definitely.

(It's my personal web log. I should be allowed to blather, right?)