Juggling

Sometimes all you need to float indefinitely is a little bit of a jump . . . and a camera to capture it. 

““Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air. You name them - work, family, health, friends, and spirit - and you’re keeping all these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls - family, health, friends, and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.””

- Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca Cola Enterprises from 1959-1994 (via jeremycowart) and also Ryan Booth. 


Speaking of Ryan Booth, if you haven't you should definitely go check out Beyond the Still, the whole 8 part movie that was shot using Canon DSLRs. Some really great film-making involved there. Some excellent, moody, evocative lighting, too. (And then if you can come back and explain the end to me, I'd really appreciate it.) 

Non-Photography Blogs I Love, Part 1

I thought this was going to be only one post, but then the list got so long that I think I'm going to split it into two parts. Anyway, here are some of the blogs I love and read that aren't completely photography-centric.

And here's your token image. I kind of liked this half-blown dandy.  Thought there might be a metaphor somewhere in it. 

Dooce Kind of the mother of all blogs, named after Heather Armstrong's typo of the word dude, Dooce is 10 years old but not showing its age. It's still funny and irreverent, and the photography is pretty darn good for a blog that doesn't make it into my Photography folder in my Google Reader.

Flourish in Progress chronicles a year without shopping, but that's kind of like saying grapefruit juice is sour water: accurate technically, but so far off of a true definition. Mostly it's searingly honest and at the same time blackly hilarious. Sometimes the topics are a little nsfw, if you know what I mean. If you're turned off by swear words and risqué topics, probably best to skip this one.

Little Green Notebook I have a tepid relationship with design blogs: they're kind of like porn for the aesthetically-minded. And there are so many of them! (I'm sure someone out there is saying the same about photoblogs. Of course. I hear ya.) But this one I like. There's some DIY, good links to great design projects. Nothing's too expensive for me to temporarily dream about doing myself.

The Happiness Project I subscribed to this one kind of on a whim. And honestly, every day I find it more apt and helpful. Yes, it's a little self-helpy, but thinking about one's personal happiness (and the happiness of others) feels so appropriate in this world of rampant commoditization. It's nice to think that happiness lies in truly knowing yourself and making the appropriate choices in life. Not a new lens, like I sometimes feel. (Kidding!)

Smitten Kitchen One of only two cooking blogs I subscribe to, it's really the best. A bit witty, great photos. Super cute toddler son, who manages to make a cameo in every post. And recipes that I always want to try. Some healthy, some not so much. Most simple, some a bit more complex. But none more complicated than they need to be. And always intriguing and unusual. A few of them (like her barley risotto) have turned into staples.

Tartelette The only other cooking blog I read. In this one, the images are the main show. Her styling and food photography are phenomenal, but her stories and recipes are also well worth the visit. The cuisine is mostly French, but with an emphasis on fresh and novel flavors.

So. I apologize, because now you will be like me and have no more free time! But at least you'll have some good reading material.

March is Manual Month

Ok, I have a dirty little secret to tell you. Most of the time, I don't shoot in manual mode. I am, in fact, usually super happy in Aperture Priority. I set the aperture and the ISO, and my (extremely intelligent) camera does the rest.

And oh! My laziness knows no bounds. If, say, the exposure isn't right on, or the white balance is off, no worries! I shoot in raw. Take that image into Lightroom and ta-da! Right as rain again.

Sometimes, yes. I do shoot in manual. I know how. If the lighting is difficult but constant, if something is heinously backlit, often for wedding ceremonies where the white and black clothing can really confuse the camera, I'll make the switch to manual. Also when I shoot interiors it's all manual, all the time. Because the highlights matter, and it's a naturally slower shoot. And then sometimes, yeah. Manual for fun.

But this month I have decided to try shooting in manual, all the time. Unless it's a paid shoot, natch. Then I'll shoot however I deem best suits the moment.

Anyway, the first thing I have noticed about manual that's annoying: you have to pay attention. To the exposure. Every time the light changes. What's up with that? More breaking news later.

Another Pool

I hear some of you still have to contend with snow. That must be rough. There were in fact some rumors we might see a few flakes here in sunny (hah!) San Francisco, but hell hasn't frozen over yet, and we remain grey, but snow free. Although I guess some sources report that we did see snow.

Anyway, I wanted to share with you a quandary Mr William Randolph Hearst must have sometimes had. Not only was he perpetually saddled with such a name, but when he wanted to go swimming he had some tough choices to make. For example, swim indoors in this pool, or outside in this one? (You might recognize it from that gem of a movie, Spartacus.)

Hard choice. But someone had to make it. Where's your favorite place to swim?

Light Up the Darkness

Meetup is Fun!

I'm a self-taught photographer, and sometimes being self-taught is a little lonely. No one else to laugh at your mistakes with you, or congratulate you on your best shot ever. No one to swap camera lenses with, or practice poses.

I mean, yes, I have the online community here which I appreciate more than I can ever say. I'm certainly beholden. And I have my wonderful Evan, who is always happy to tell me when my photos aren't quite up to snuff, or even (sometimes) that they are. And I've had a few brave the odd photowalk with me. But usually I'm on my own, off in a corner, taking 20 shots of the plant. And other people think, "What can the picture be in that??"

Well happily this past weekend I got to hang out with some other like-minded photographers that I found courtesy of Meetup! We all got together in Bill McClaren's studio in Oakland, and shot a couple of models in 3 kinds of light: natural (my favorite, and where I'm most comfortable), fluorescent (my least favorite, generally speaking), and with some strobes (a fairly new experience for me). It was good fun, and I met a couple of other photographers who were great. Hopefully we'll all go shooting again soon!

A couple shots of the photo crowd:

And here's a quiz for you. I named three kinds of light above, can you guess which is which? 50 bonus points to the commenter who gets the right answer first. (Bonus points are redeemable for my good favor. And warm weather in the summertime.)