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THE FIRST 1000+ MILE LEG OF MY GRANDSON / GOLF 2000+ MILE TRIP is in the books.The Penguins shut out the defending Stanley Cup Champs and the drive from Pittsburgh to Pinehurst NC through parts of the Blue Ridge / Appalachian Mountains was quite picturesque. Golf is good.
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PICTURE WISE, A FEW STRAGGLERS FROM THE LAST 24 hours in California.
Travel wise, today, after 36 hours of rest and recuperation at home, I am off on my 10 day golf-with-the-grandson trip. Our destination is Pinehurst, NC, approximately a 1,000 mile drive away.
Leaving this afternoon for a half-way stop over at my ex’s home for an over night break. Then on to Pittsburgh on Sunday to meet up with the kid and go to Penguins game. Monday, it’s on to NC. Next Saturday, after 5 days of golf, it’s a drive from NC to Morgantown, West Virginia, where I will stay overnight, then drop the kid off at school-University of West Virgini-on Sunday. Take a campus tour then head out to the ex’s home for another half-way over night break. Buy her breakfast on Monday morning and head home.
I will be posting entries during the trip. As promised, I will not bore you with a ton o’ golf pictures or golf stories.
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OK. I GOT MY OBLIGATORY BEACH / OCEAN PHOTO. SEVERAL, actually. On a similar note, I went to a major tourist attraction - the world famous San Diego Zoo. TRAVEL TIP: visit in November - pleasant temperature and not much of a crowd.
Today is our last full day in California. Maybe my last day ever in California. Headed home tomorrow. Won’t miss a thing except our son and daughter-in-law. Although, the Korean BBQ restaurant was pretty damn good. Best kimchi this side of the Pacific.
Long travel day tomorrow. Outta bed at 7AM (10AM EST). Arrive in Vermont at 11PM EST. Jump in car for a 1.5hr drive home. Arrive home a 1-1:30 AM Friday. Ugh.
CALIFORNIA, SPECIFICALLY THE BUILT UP URBAN / SUBURBAN areas that are dominated by highway systems that are alternately Indianapolis 500 speedways-with a fair number of kamikazi pilots at the wheels-and very slow moving parking lots, is not much to my liking. Some might suggest that the ocean / coast line is a saving grace but, to be honest, it don’t do much to light my fire.
So, after 4 days I have managed to not take a walk on the beach. That run is about to end this afternoon cuz I feel that I would be remiss in my duty, photography wise, if I were to come home without a beach picture. I am also proud to write that I have not made a sunset picture. Although, I do have a fair number of pictures of family members taking pictures of or staring at the sunset.
And, writing of family members taking pictures, one photo opportunity I did not explore-I actually wish I had-was making pictures of them taking zillions of pictures of each other. FYI, inevitably, all of those pictures were taken with the subject(s) just standing somewhere looking at the picture taker…
…just shoot me (pun intended)
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IMO, THE CHALLENGE WHEN MAKING PHOTOGRAPHS WHILE TRAVELING is to make pictures that do not look like travel postcard pictures-deadpan pictures of ever so obvious tourist attractions and spots-yet, while staying true to your vision, still manage to capture an everyday-like sense of being there in the moment.
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TOOK ANOTHER RAINY DRIVE. THIS TIME TO pick up some odds ’n ends for our trip to San Diego. Starts tomorrow. Get back next Thursday. 1 day of rest then it’s a drive to West Virginia (University of) to pick up the grandson for Thanksgiving break. After a Penguins game-in Pittsburgh, PA-it’s a drive to Pinehust, NC for a week of golf. He’s on the school golf team and wants to play a lot of golf.
I’m thinking that, since I will be a couple big cities-Pittsburgh, San Diego, Morgantown-I might be able to get in some street photography. That written, I promise I will not bore you with a entries about golf or a lot of golf pictures. Unlike some who think a photo sites should tell you all about swimming or faucets.
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Val d’Orcia view from the bedroom balcony of Pope Pius II’s summer residence ~ Pienza, Tuscany
Val d’Orcia view from the bedroom balcony of Pope Pius II’s summer residence ~ Pienza, Tuscany
WHILE RUMMAGING AROUND IN MY PHOTO LIBRARY LOOKING for street photography pictures-pictures which are most often made (by me) in cities in foreign countries (see my new street photos folder on the WORK page) ~ Tuscany-I was snared by a handful of Tuscany landscape pictures that were made with a long focal lens. For whatever reason, most, but not all, of of my Tuscany landscapes were made with that lens. Apparently, to my eye and sensibilities, that is how I was inclined to “see” it. In any event, it seemed logical to post these pictures-culled from many-for your viewing pleasure and as a follow up to my recent entry, re: making pictures with a long focal length lens.
On a different topic: re: “…the ever growing feeling that everything I photograph just seems derivative anymore” - a quote from a comment left on TOP. On that topic, consider this:
For the first several years one struggles with the technical challenges, making sure and steady progress - a learning curve and growth process that is rewarding, stimulating and self-renewing. But, eventually every photographer who sticks with it long enough arrives at a technical plateau where production of a technically good photograph is relatively easy. It is here that real photography starts and most photographers quit. ~ Brooks Jensen
We have certainly reached a plateau, technical wise, were the making of a “technically good photograph is relatively easy.”. A fact that seems to concern-some might even say “threaten”-those “serious” amateur photographers who have arrived at that plateau after a long and concentrated effort to reach it. iMo, at the very least, I believe it pisses them off that the un-serious picture taking rabble can make pictures which-to the average viewer’s eye and sensibilities-rivals there own pictures.
Well, iMo, those “serious” makers have been skating on thin ice, status wise, cuz it was only a matter of time until the march of technological progress, in this case re: the ability to make technically good photographs, washed away their claim to picture making fame. I believe that situation might cause a significant number of serious amateurs to to think, if everyone can do it and I don’t stand out, what’s the point? Hence, their reaction to this situation has been, almost across the board, to claim that their pictures are technically superior to those made with an iPhone (the device at the top of their derision list).
However, whether they are aware of it or not, that epithetical pronouncement exposes their obviousness to the fact that the average viewer, much more so in the fine art world, doesn’t give a crap about technical perfection. For the average viewer, a decent depiction of a person, place or thing is more than good enough for them. In the fine art world, a decent depiction is good enough as long as a photograph is about more than just what is depicted.
All of that written, it brings me back to my first quote “…the ever growing feeling that everything I photograph just seems derivative anymore”….
…inasmuch as most serious amateur photographs make photographs that are, primarily, referent-centric and are made, more or less, according to the “standard” rules and conventions of the medium, it is no surprise that many might end up feeling that their photographs are derivative. Given that most of their referents are those which are considered by the average viewer to be “beautiful” or interesting, it is only a matter of time until they either run out of such referents and start to repeat themselves, or, that they realize that their pictures look an awful lot like everyone else’s pictures.
And, it is at that point that their enthusiasm for making pictures wanes, cuz, if you don’t stand out (cuz everyone can do it), what’s the point?
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YESTERDAY MA NATURE SENT US A 1-inch REMINDER MEMO, re: what’s in our near future. The memo was short and sweet. Over by 1PM, no evidence left by 6PM.
the wife in a grove of birch
IN DECADES PAST WINTER WAS FOR ME A PLAYGROUND… XC skiing, ice skating, luge competition (2 silver medals), and backcountry / wilderness backpacking in the high peaks. However, with more than 3/4 of a century under my belt, not so much anymore.
These days my favorite winter past time is a comfortable chair in front of a warm fire, a good book and an Irish coffee or a mug of warm apple cider with a cinnamon stick. Although, short hikes with a picture making device are still part of the program.