# 6049-52 / update ~ there and back again

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THIS WEEKEND PAST, AS MENTIONED, I TRAVELED TO the Boston area with my grandson, Hugo, for the Eastern Hockey League (Juniors) Combine event. The combine is for scouts and coaches looking for talent for their teams. Hugo is already signed to a team but went to the Combine to be seen and to get up to speed (literally) at the Junior level of play-he’s 17 playing with 19/20 year olds. Hugo made an impression with coaches and scouts, many of whom were sorry to hear that he was already signed to a contract with an EHL team. His Combine team won the Combine championship with Hugo contributing 3 points-1 goal / 2 primary assists-of his team’s 10 goals in the tournament.

In any event, I spent a lot of time in the rink, in the hotel, and in a great Irish pub. However, while I was away from home, our neighbor’s house, along with 3 vehicles, burnt to the ground (picture made by the wife from our front porch). The wife discovered the fire and called 911. The family was away on vacation so there was no loss of human life but their 3 dogs perished in the fire.

# 5914-16 / around the house • landscape • places ~ craft vs technique...

all pictures made within the last 24 hours

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1932 Olympic Arena* / Ice Rink ~ (embiggenable)

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…OR IS IT CRAFT + TECHNIQUE?

My first thought is that the idea of craft-a skill of making things by hand-has little to do with the practice of making pictures. Exception - making prints by some archaic print making process. If one were to press the subject one could venture the opinion that one uses one’s hands in the making of prints. But, I would counter that with the fact that the use of hands in making pictures is limited that of pressing buttons or keys on a keyboard.

That written, the use of one’s hands/fingers on buttons or keyboards is guided by the use of one’s brain. In the best of cases, the use of one’s brain is engaged in the pursuit of employing the techniques needed to express one’s vision. Which, might lead one to be considered to be a very good technician (a person skilled in the technique of an art or craft) as opposed to a very good craftsperson, re: in the making of pictures.

In any event, I do not give a damn one way or the other, re: what label-craftsman or technician-is slapped on me and my picture making as long as the label includes the descriptor picture maker.

All of the above written, my hands and/or fingers are guided by my brain during the picture making process-most notably during image file processing-in pursuit of my desire / intent to create a printed pictures which are an accurate representation of whatever was in front of my eyes and my camera. A picture making pursuit most often labeled as straight photography.

That is why, on the last page of my photo books or at the end of an Artist Statement for an exhibit, I always include this disclaimer:

No filters or special effects were employed in the making of these pictures. All pictures were made with a (device name here). The resulting image files were processed in an image processing software for minor color balance, contrast, brightness, highlight and shadow adjustments / corrections. All adjustments / corrections were performed in order to insure that the finished prints are an accurate representation-as much as the tools of the medium allow-of that which was in front of my eyes and camera.

*the ‘32 ice rink is just down the hall from the ‘80 Olympic Arena, aka: the MIracle On Ice Arena.

5844-47 / people • places ~ Irish Eyes Are Smiliing

the Golden Dome + fall color ~ (embiggenable) • iPhone

Touchdown Jesus + me~ (embiggenable) • iPhone

Notre Dame (Blue and Gold) about to score a touchdown ~ (embiggenable) • iPhone

train snacks in our roomette ~ (embiggenable) • iPhone

AFTER A 48 HOUR, 1750 MILE (280 by CAR / 1470 by TRAIN) TRIP with my grandson Hugo, I ‘m back home and anticipating Thanksgiving Day 3 days hence. The purpose of the trip was to attend the Notre Dame v Georgia Tech football game which Notre Dame-The Fighting Irish-won by the score of 55-0. Obviously, the game provided no drama but every play seemed like a highlight reel play.

Hugo made a picture of me standing in front of Touchdown Jesus-which faces and can be seen from the upper reaches of the stadium-and , unlike most others who were having their picture made in the same place, I got through it without raising my arms in imitation of Touchdown Jesus.