civilized ku # 1317 ~ to see the "unseen"

(embiggenable) • iPhone

A CRITIC WRITNG ABOUT THE PAINTINGS OF VERMEER wrote:

....beneath the accidents of nature is a realm infused with harmony and order, and, in giving visual form to the realm, the poetry existing within transient moments of human experience is revealed.

Over many years, this quote is one of many I have discovered which relates to my way of seeing and, consequently, to my way of making pictures.

That is, as I have written more than a few times, my pictures are rarely about that which is depicted, aka: the referent(s). Rather, my pictures are most often about the "harmony / order" I see-and isolate within the frame of my picture-in the patterns of line, shape, tone, color presented to me by "accidents of nature". While I have never thought that my pictures revealed "the poetry existing within transient moments of human experience", I can see how some might see it that way.

That written, whether or not one views my pictures as poetry-perhaps a better word would be poetic*-my picturing intention is to use the dipicted referent(s), "featured" and subordinate, to hint at or "point" to something which lies beyond the "mere" surface of the 2D print. Consequently, therein is the reason that I don't care about maximized resolution / sharpness in my pictures.

To wit, while, by the nature of the medium of photography and its apparatus, I am drawing a viewer's attention to the thing(s) depicted, it is most certainly my intention that a viewer not get "hung up" on the literal(ness) seen in my pictures but rather to move beyond that to a more metaphoric or allegoric sensitivity. And, to my eye and sensibilities, a "softer" image-relative to that produced by super hi-res sensors- is the picturing and processing device I use to attempt to bring viewers along to my POV.

*having an imaginative or sensitively emotional style of expression

civilized ku # 1317 ~ sing softly to me

CORONAVOGRAPHY update: new pictures posted today. More to come. Still waiting on a number of indicted participants to respond.

IT SEEMS TO BE SOMEWHAT OF AN ASIDE, re: the current life-during-wartime situation, to be ruminating on the medium of photography and its apparatus things but I can't help myself. So, here are some of my current thoughts....

.... in my picture making, striving for maximized photographic "realism" has never been a goal. Although, by the strict definition of realism-the quality or fact of representing a person, thing, or situation accurately or in a way that is true to life-it has always been my operative M.O.

However, what I mean by photographic "realmism" is that that partcular picture making fetish defined by maximized resolution / sharpness, ultra color fidelity (most often accompanied by a little help from the SATURATION slider) and other considerations driven by the quest for technical "perfection". A picture making pursuit which, to my eye and sensibilities, results in pictures that express "hyper"-realism. Or, to borrow the Tyrell Corporation motto, pictures which are "More Real Than Real".

It is quite possible that my dislike of maximized realism stems from the fact that, picture making wise, I was raised on a steady diet of film-even more specifically, color negative film. A film which was less sharp than transparency film and produced much more subtle color than transparency film. A film which yielded up gentle-on-the-eye, "soft"-yet detailed-prints which exhibited a "liquid"-like color and tonal quality.

The epitome of the soft / liquid print made from a color negative was a print made from an 8x10 color negative. Unfortunately, very few have viewed such prints and I believe that includes most "serious" amateur picture makers. In addition to my prints made from 8x10 color negatives, I have been fortunate to view those of many fine art picture makers - Shore and Meyerowitz, to name just a few.

And, FYI, I can still spot a print made from a color negative from a mile away. Those prints "sing" while the others just "shout".

The next entry will deal with why "soft" and "liquid" fits the way I "see".

civilized ku # 1315 ~ on with the show

(embiggenable) • iPhone

THERE IS A WEBSITE SET UP FOR our group CORONAVOGRAPHY project - coronavography.blogspot.com. On it there are a few pictures which demonstrate how the site will look - simple and clean with emphasis on the pictures. Comments can be posted but pictures must be clicked on-trying to change this-to see picture maker's name / title.

Re: sending files.

1. Use the CONTACT MARK link to send me your email address. I will then send you my email address to use for sending files. This procedure is such so I don't have to post my address in the open. Your email address will not be shared or published in any way.

2. file size should be no larger that 1000 pixels in any dimension. Resolution should be 72dpi. Idealy, color profile should be sRGB but I can convert if needed.

3. Pictures will be posted shortly after I receive them.

That's it for now. Will keep you advised of any changes. Comments or suggestions, re: the above, are more than welcome.

civilized ku # 3613-14 ~ let's get on with it

(embiggenable) • iPhone

(embiggenable) • iPhone

spring in the garden ~ on my desktop (embiggenable) • iPhone

UPDATED. The kitchen sink and iPhone made galleries on the WORK page have been updated with new pictures. Also, a spring in the garden gallery has been added. Check them out and let out your inner photo critic and tell me what you think.

In other news, there is now the critical mass-much thanks to one and all-needed to embark upon the CORONAVOGRAPHY ~ life during wartime online gallery project. So fire up your picture making devices-cameras, phones, et al-and start making pictures ....

... the theme is simple: pictures ("straight" photography or otherwise) made in your home or close by that illustrate your life during wartime (aka: cornavirus isolation) experience.

For my part, within the next few days I will determine how the pictures will be published (online) and how to send your pictures.

If participants are up for it, we could, for as long as the life during wartime event lasts, do an additional gallery every 2 weeks or so. Let's have some fun with this and I will make a "best of" book at the end of all of this (a picture from every participant will be included).

civilized ku # 3610-12 ~ looking through the glass

(embiggenable) • iPhone

(embiggenable) • iPhone

(embiggenable) • iPhone

I AM ENCOURAGED BY THE RESPONSE TO MY who's interested in participating in a CORONAVOGRAPHY~ life during wartime online picture gallery / exhibition? While the number of indicated participants is 6 short of my stated minimum for launching this project, I am encouraged enough to start working out the logistics of making this work. In the meantime, I am hoping for at least 5-6 more commitments to participate.

In my previous entry, picture pefect, there are 3 pictures, made on the same day as the entry, of my wife's garden. Since that time, another 10 pictures of the garden have been made. That's nearly enough to constitute a body of work which, iMo, should be comprised of 20 pictures. So, I will be wandering around the premise to attempt to make at least 5 more pictures.

In any event, to my eye and sensibilities, these pictures bring to mind, especially now during life during wartime, the words of Chauncey Gardner, aka: Peter Sellers as Chance the gardener in the movie Being There, come to mind:

"In the garden, growth has it seasons. First comes spring and summer, but then we have fall and winter. And then we get spring and summer again .... Yes! There will be growth in the spring!"

Here's hoping the "grow in the spring" this spring will not be the growth of Covid-19. Rather, here's hoping the "growth" will be in the decrease of the infection curve.

ADDENDUM If you are interested in particpating and have not indicated so on the previous entry, Please leave a comment or hit the like button. As before, if you are able, spread the world. Much appreciated.

civilized ku # 3608-09 ~ life during wartime

(embiggenable) • iPhone

(embiggenable) • iPhone

I WOULD ASSUME THAT MOST, IF NOT ALL, OF MY BLOG READERS are spending much more time in their domicile inasmuch as ....

This ain't no party, this ain't no disco,
This ain't no fooling around
No time for dancing, or lovey dovey,
I ain't got time for that now

Nearly every weekday evening after work, the wife and I retire to the enclosed porch off of our bedroom. We sip some fine bourbon or scotch, I enjoy a bit of a good cigar and we watch the sun go down and unwind. Over the past few weeks, we have also been "watching" life as we have known it go down and the "view" from our porch is rather surreal.

That written, I, like many others, have a lot of time on my hands (which I wash over and over again). However, what I can spend that time doing is becoming more and more limited. Especially so since I am in the high vulnerability group. Consequently, whatever I do will mostly likely be a solitary activity.

It has not required much imagination on my part to deduce what that activity will be. Suffice it to write that my picture library will most likely experience a growth cycle. And those added pictures will, in all probabilty, be made within or close by my domicile. Although, since I do live in rural area / forest preserve, it is OK to get out and about without being in close proximity to other human beings.

It has occurred to me that now might be a good time to undertaken experiment, re: my idea to open a gallery. While that idea is in abeyance at this time, a virtual gallery is within the realm of possibilty. That is, an online gallery. Quite obviously, this idea requires audience participation in the form of submission of pictures. So, here's the crux of it...

In order for this to be doable and worth my time and effort, it would be very desirable, in fact necessary, for 15-20 individuals to submit pictures. In other words, I have the time too do this if others make the time to participate.

FYI, the theme for the gallery would be CORONAVOTOGRAPHY ~ life during wartime. Pictures of people, places, things made close to home.

If this project appeals to you, please indicate so by leaving a comment or simply hitting the LIKE button. And, if you could pass the word along, that would be much appreciated.

ku # 1465-67 ~ picture perfect

(embiggenable) • iPhone

(embiggenable) • iPhone

(embiggenable) • iPhone

(UN-embiggenable) ~ illustrative purposes only

(UN-embiggenable) ~ illustrative purposes only

SO, I AM HAVING MY MORNING COFFEE AND DONUT AND reading my regular AM reading-NY Times + my 5 daily photo site reads-when I come across a link on my Facebook feed to a site which sells lenses that can be used on an iPhone. Something I have been contemplating as a possibile purchase ... not because of need, but strictly for the hell of it.

While purusing the site, I discovered that it also offered a "pro" camera app for the iPhone. The app allows complete control over all the iPhone's camera module functions ... everything from precise focus and exposure control-not with sliders but the ability to select aperture, shutter speed and ISO for each shot-to the ability to shoot RAW. Pretty much all of the manual controls one would have on a "real" camera.

AN ASIDE I will admit that the ability to make RAW files had some appeal. After all, until my switch to making pictures with the iPhone, RAW format was the only format I ever used in my picture making. You know, the quest for ultimate control and quality cuz, you know, the JPEG format is inferior in every way, except....

....the fact of the matter is, after 18 months of make pictures with the iPhone and its JPEG output, I have been repeatly and very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the image files and the subsequent prints I make from those files. END OF AN ASIDE

In any event, after my morning wake up routine, I went out to my wife's garden in the backyard knowing that there would, most likely, be some interesting dead-stuff-emerging-from-under-the-snow to be pictured. Sure enough there was. And, after making a few pictures, I went back inside and commenced to processing them.

As is usually the case, the image files required only a few minor tweaks before they were ready for printing. After making dupe files and uprezzing them to 19x19 inches for printing, the printing commenced and a short time later, I had some very fantastic prints.

Prints that meet every criteria I have for making beautiful prints which capture and express exactly what I saw and wanted to convey. The prints are sharp with great detail and a wide range of the very subtle colors I saw in the actual scene. To my eye and sensibilities, they are "perfect" prints.

The net result of this exercise made me realize that wishing / wanting for more better image quality, aka: in this case via RAW files, is, for me, a fool's errand. Cuz, whenI really think about it, what's better than "perfect".