Photo: The tree and the fire hydrant

Ansel Adams once said "A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed". That is what brought me into photography, and what has kept me coming back, again and again. When I look at the picture later, I want it to return me to the place and the time when it was taken.

It isn't about the camera, it isn't about the technology, it is about the heart of the image, about finding the right way to capture a moment in time in a way that epitomizes both the scene and the emotions of the time. On seeing the photo later, I want to inhale deeply and smell the wet bushes of the first snow, to feel giddy and giggly at my son's antics, and see through my love's eyes and into my own heart. Taking others to that same place is just a bonus.

The tree has defied my attempts to take a picture that leaves me satisfied. (yes, I'm not above cheap humor) I'd really like to have the idyllic setting, hilly rural pastures, with nice morning light, a barb wire fence and a dirt road, maybe a light fog in the distance. Instead I'm stuck with the street, the houses, power lines, cars, sidewalk, and this ... this fire hydrant. Perhaps I'll try again next year.

rootie

A tree the color of autumn itself...

Every season has something unique and wonderful; an appealing point for which we wait all year with anticipation, and whose absence is often worth mourning. Especially in recent years, I really like the leaves of autumn.

I grew up in the Rodney Dangerfield of deserts. Bare dirt with something close to 2 varieties of plant: occasional 3-4 inch tall salt sage, and a short prickly pear cactus heavy on the prickle and short on the pear. You want a real nice desert, go to Arizona. A barrel cactus with those long hard red needles has real charm, and it is hard to beat a teddy bear cholla for charisma.

Being desert raised, I have very little youthful experience with tree leaves, so it was in adulthood, on my morning walk across the parking lot to the building at work, several (dare I say many?) years ago, I discovered the joy of crunchy piles of leaves. The wind would blow them into neat rows against the parking blocks and into the gutter. On any given fall morning, I will avoid the sidewalk through the parking lot. Instead you're likely to find me walking in the gutter, kicking my feet while entranced by the "shuffle-crunch-shuffle-crunch". On rare occasion, I notice other people going just a couple feet out of their way, for exactly the same little delight. Sometimes our eyes meet, and there is an instant recognition, a shared smile among autumnal sensualists.

Maybe it is all subjective, but I think this fall has been particularly well-lit, leaving my photographic side daydreaming of a free morning, fresh batteries in the camera, and memory cards waiting to be filled with images. The trees seem to have taken every opportunity to use the wonderful autumn light to show off, presenting every color from green to red to brown, sometimes all on one tree. (ah, wonderful micro-climates!)

I've often found myself staring out the window just to admire a tree across the street from my house with the richest, most beautiful orange-brown color leaves, leaves that will only become deeper and more saturated with color as they age in my memory. Mother nature won't let it last much longer, but for me, it will live on as one of my memories of autumn.

rootie

Life's little lessons #5001 - 5005

I bought a new camera the other day. Oh the excitement of a new toy. Just think of the wonderful pictures I'll be able to take! (and share with all my friends)

What an education!

5001. There is a phenomenon I am sure the mechanics among you will recognize. If you have an old car with many years and miles on it, replacing one part will often mean you must replace other parts. What starts out small can grow beyond your expectations.

5002. 2 memory cards @ 8GB each. 2GB free hard drive space for picture downloads. (something's gotta grow all right :O )

5003. I can shoot RAW images at incredible speed. I'll just pull them into the software I already have...uh...hmmm...Nikon changed their RAW file format so none of my current (preferred) software will read the raw format images. I guess I need another upgrade.

5004. Shopping for personal items (ahem, I mean a camera bag, which is definitely personal preference) can take longer than expected and shouldn't be done while accompanied by a preschooler. I figured 10, maybe 15 minutes tops -- about an hour later we were back on the road.

5005. 20x spotting scopes at convenient eye level make great entertainment for a 4 year old...though I bet the camera store clerk gained a few gray hairs. It's one of those little things: "daddy daddy, come look, there's a video in this! it's a video daddy, come look! it's a video!"

It has been a busy autumn with so many lessons to learn.

May your fallen leaves be crunchy, colorful and deep!

rootie

Provenzo is right...

Imagine this. A person shows up at your door with a gun, takes your money by force for their own purposes. Maybe even saying "I'll die if I don't do this".

What right does that person have to threaten you?

What right does that person have to your money?

This isn't a trade. You get nothing of any value or meaning in return. Just as the thief above, representatives of our government will show up at your door if you don't pay your taxes. They may act on the government's behalf and throw you in jail, or otherwise take your money by force...for the good of everyone.

A woman has the right to control her own body. She has the right to decide whether or not to carry a baby to term. That decision may be driven by a multitude of factors, including whether or not she (and her family) have the ability (or even desire) to care for the child that may result.

We don't need more laws or regulation on how we can or can't live our lives. We need only for productive rational individuals to be allowed to do the work they are capable for their own benefit, without the sanction to burden others by the force of the state.

Nicholas Provenzo is right. Palin made her choice. Other people can make the choice that fits their individual situation -- just don't make me pay for it.

rootie

Determinism is hard?

Just for fun:
What could be easier than determinism? Medical school?

The Seinfeld of Rube Goldberg machines...?

You have to see this. (via Wired)

It isn't as seamless as the Honda commercial, but still quite entertaining.

You can do things like count the number of different forms of "recreational equipment and pastimes" that are represented. Darts, golf, polo, contact juggling, snooker, violin playing, IM'ing, playing chess, weight lifting, soccer, eating, drinking, listening to music, what did I miss?

The more inventive among you can contemplate alternate designs for a ramp to launch a slinky down the stairs...

rootie

Missing Context in the Media

Many news reports indicate "Vladimir Putin Hailed as a Hero" for tranquilizing a tiger. It would seem the tiger escaped from its cage and was charging a news crew. Good thing Putin was there, with a tranquilizer gun at the ready!

The only information I've been able to find on the web is that large animal tranquilizers take roughly 3 minutes to take effect (at the fast end of the spectrum).

Let's do the math...If a charging tiger can run 15 miles an hour, (yes, I made that number up, but it seems reasonable for a moderate distance of a stalk and pounce hunter), how far away was the news crew for the tranquilizer to take have taken effect in a life saving fashion? (3 minutes at 4 minute mile pace == 0.75 miles)

I won't go so far as to say the news reports are incorrect. It is very obvious, however, that the news reports are missing important details that could provide useful context to understand the event fully.

If you actually know something about large animal tranquilizer efficacy or how the news crew would have otherwise been in mortal danger, but still safe for the 3 minutes it might have taken for the tranquilizer, or perhaps even how long it would take Putin to have realized the nature of the situation and obtained and used a tranquilizer gun, feel free to leave a comment.

I am highly skeptical.

rootie