Pixel Pot "Rocking with a little "Little Richard"

PLAY IT!

Pixel Pot "On his soap box as a "Linked In" skeptic!"

Don't eat if you are full, Don't buy it if you have no need for it, Don't join unless you are positive it is right, Don't spill the beans to anyone... and you will be better off.

I was invite to be part of the "Linked In". For reasons pertaining to my education I reluctantly accepted, the department chair had invited me. I have a basic understanding that "Linked In" is a place for business and to be connected can be vital to my success as a photographer. I also know my day is divided into twenty four hours and for everything that is added to my day something must be taken away. My days are full. So the idea of joining "Linked In", clung to me like sweaty jeans on a hot summer day, I was annoyed by it all. 

Many days later I was in the kitchen cooking merrily away, while listening to the radio. The subject of the show was Jefferson and his beloved home Monticello. This engaging NPR show spoke of Jefferson's endless quest to perfect his vision of Monticello. Jefferson was never quite happy and as a result continuous revisions / renovations were ongoing. Eventually the addition of a dome was added, you can see this on a Jefferson nickel. Some historians suspect this dome served more as a panopticon. With this 360 degree view, Jefferson could keep an eye on the activities of the help, in Jefferson's case the help were very expensive slaves. I became curious as to what a panopticon looked like, if you have not hyper linked to the definition of the panopticon allow me to provide a picture. A panopticon was originally designed, to watch prison inmates.

Getting to the point; "The internet today is our modern panopticon and we don't even know it." 

George Orwell was not wrong. Surveillance cameras are now ubiquitous. In this U-tube short the progression of surveillance is outlined with the suggestion that today the fear of discipline has replaced mankind's reverence for ethic and morality. My view is that the the internet is becoming a tool no less invasive than a security camera.

Sites like "Face Book" and "Linked In" record our every touch of a button our personal and psychological profiles become record for "whom ever" and "forever" that is potential for disaster. It has been said throughout  history "that could never happen here", guess again. You only need to study McCarthyism, or profess your faith out loud, (being Jewish in Nazi Germany for example) to see how it could happen here. Today more than ever your underware is on view for the world to see and guilt by association is only a click away. Who here even cares to remember the case of USF professor Sami Al-Arian, his life was left in shambles because of association. My association with "Linked In" is still much to new for me to prove it's worth, I remain a skeptic. One thing that I do know; "Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it." 
Thank you George Santayana for your enduring words of wisdom.

Mc·Car·thy·ism

noun /məˈkärTHēˌizəm/  McCarthyisms, plural A vociferous campaign against alleged communists in the US government and other institutions carried out under Senator Joseph McCarthy in the period 1950–54. Many of the accused were blacklisted or lost their jobs, although most did not in fact belong to the Communist Party Any similar practice that endorses the use of unfair allegations and investigations - he practiced McCarthyism long before there was a McCarthy "oh that could never happen here" you wanna bet?

Pixel Pot "Gets A New Toy"

At last my new "Pin Hole Lens Cap" hath arrived and I tried it out, pretty dam cool. Here is what it looks like on the Pinhole Resourse web site.

What this does is turn your digital camera into a lens-less digital pinhole camera. My camera never felt so

light and easily slipped into my already full carrying bag. The one big problem with this arrangement is any dust on the sensor shows up on your images like the pox. I place it on my three year old Canon 50 D to try it out. I will also mention that my lens based images using this camera have been spot free. Clean sensors are a must when using the pinhole cap. I will try to clean it myself per instruction in the camera manual, if this does not work I may need to send it to the camera hospital for a C & D.  Below is an example from my first pinhole excursion; the Tampa Bay Skyway just past sunset July 1, 2011. 

Sensor Dust Map of my Canon 50D

Final Pinhole Image after spotting

Pixel Pot "The Art Of Lunch"

Here is an example of how jazzed I get over the most ordinary of things. In this case I was eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch every day for one month. I did this during my internship to save time and money. I enjoyed every bite. I am a person who is drawn to repetitive patterns, that does not mean I sit and drool as I look at the wall paper. If you think about it, the leaves on any given tree are repetitive making up the singularity of the canopy. Repetition is inherent to the natural world. So as I laid out my luxuriously soft "Bunny Bread" and began the ritual of spreading on just the right proportions of peanut butter and jelly, I thought "Nice Pattern", I should photograph this moment of life. The results of this moment are above and below. Not to be judged as art, but as a reminder to keep your mind open to possibilities.

Pixel Pot "Loving Film"

Here it is July the first, and the heat has got a grip on my head. I need something cool! Ice tea don't do it, beer don't do it, ice cream just drips on my shorts, Kodachrome? well yes that is cool! Here is a rare treat from those hip journalist at the "New York Times". Allow me to present the photographs of Gorden Heisler and a well written accompaniment by his son Todd Heisler.

A toast to Todd: "Thank You for sharing this personal journey, it provide me with a chance to pause and think of my own parents as mysterious and wonderful."

Now the rest of you get on it and look at these chromes!

"Pixel Pot" More to say!

My internships may be over but there is much more to say about my experience, along with valuable bits of information learned that need to be shared. With the internship over I decided to not loose a minute and immediately jumped into Final Cut Express and Infrared photography. With this activity in place my time budget has not allowed for much blogging. Self-teaching is slow process. Did I hear some one say that my lawn needs mowing also. So who will save the blog? My mentor will! Enter Wayne Eastep with a valuable (and easily read) article on copyrighting. I am passing this article along because it is solid information and want it to spread faster than an Arizona wild fire!  Click here to be informed. then pass it along.

Thanks to the Arizona Republic for the editorial use of the big blaze photo.

"Pixel Pot" Summer Fun

Q: Pixel Pot, why did you post Edward Lear?

A: At that moment I was thinking of nothing, my conscious self was no where to be and presto, Edward Lear stepped in to fill the void.

Q:Were you meditating?

A: No. I mostly meditate in the car when I am driving, you see I have no radio to tune into so I sort of leave and the driving is all performed on auto pilot.

Q:Isn't that dangerous?

A: No. Consciousness is. Like putting on make up, eating, cell phone activity, you know the drill. 

Q: Getting back to Mr Lear.

A: Oh yes what I like about him is his unrestricted view of life, I believe his verse came with out effort, he was so enjoying himself. He may have been a Buddha.

Q: Well he does make you smile.

A: Smile yes, and he can make your day.  

"Pixel Pot" Gets Depressed

The guy driving the car is the CEO at Getty and all the folks in front are photographers. Getty downgraded their images from RM to RF, now they are RF, need I explain.  Boycott the stock photography thieves!

"Pixel Pot" Massive Attack Inspiration

" He insists on JR — his real initials. He used to refer to himself as a photograffeur, which puts him somewhere between a photographer and a graffiti artist. His M.O. is to show up in a shantytown in Kenya or a favela in Brazil, a place where some event has been noted in the media and captured his attention, and turn it inside out, photographing the residents, then wrapping their buildings with the results, on a scale so vast that you can see their eyes from the sky." Quoted from Gaby Wood's article in the New York Times Sunday February 27, 2011.  JR is also the deserving recipient of the $100,000 TED award. I am inspired, read the article and you will see why. PS. Includes a photo gallery of his work.

"Pixel Pot" Inspired by Edward Burtynsky

photographs by Edward Burtynsky

My first art school experience was a stab at the fine arts, sculpture, painting and mixed media. So as I was paging my way through the April 10th edition of the New York Times Sunday Magazine, my eyes bugged out when I saw this photograph! Is this for real?  Yes Indeed. This is an aerial view of the semiarid region, Monegros in northeastern Spain. Think Picasso Braque and you will see this photography as paint. See this first class work and more at:   http://www.edwardburtynsky.com/

"Pixel Pot" Do your home work.

This installment of "humble me" is about pre-visualisation and planning. A cautionary story about getting your ducks in a row. The above photo is one of many that Wayne Eastep took for Nautica. At the time Nautica was unknown and the company wanted images that would set the tone and lifestyle of the clothing line it was about to launch.

Now don't forget I am working away (as an intern) cataloging whats seems to be a mizzillion images. Musing on my own work I mention my "sorry ass" set of images that I took for the rowing race. Wayne hones in on my statement like an F4 Phantom Interceptor. Here in lies the beauty of my intern experience. Not only is Wayne an excellent photographer but also an excellent teacher. So I am stopped in my tracks for an impromptu lesson.

Wayne opens up his website and proceeds to the Nautical images. He starts off explaining the meeting with the art director and the clothing designer. The launching of a media champaign is a really big deal it can instantly make or break a company or product. It would be pointless to innumerate what is hanging in the balance. The designer brought along samples of the clothing and some drawings for them to look over. So with little more then these fragments the agency and photographer were ask to make it happen. Wayne requested period of time to develop his ideas.

Wayne's first step was to purchased a ticket to the Virgin Islands to began his process of pre-visualisation and planning. Step 1 locations; Location to define image; where do "Nautica" wearers hang? A private villa, an exotic local market, a secluded beach, and a private yacht were all scouted and used. In choosing location consideration to time of day requires several visits to determine lighting. Step 2 agreements and releases; It is imperative that all legalities be agreed upon and signed before commencement of the shoot. Vendors in the market were enlisted as paid models with signed agreements. All properties that were selected as potential had to signed off with permissions granted and notification of insurance coverages. Step 3 consideration of props;  careful staging often requires props to be located, rented or purchased. For example, in the photo above, the sail boat and captain were hired to tack back and forth via commands given by two way radio. The sail boat is a prop and one that is extremely effective. Put the radios on your list of equiptment, it will save foot steps or a swim. Moving foward, they're Models to hire, accommodations to rent, assistants to move furniture, buy flowers, find a ladder and do make up. Questions of equipment; mental preplanning of each location will determine equipment required, it is unlikely the local hardware with have a flash tube. Shipping is expensive and when working internationally customs can hold your stuff so arrangements are made for international pre-approval. The ducks are lining up, so let us move on to the actual shoot.

Got the picture? Not yet. The image above was taken back in the day of film also known as "chromes", so to get things right Wayne has an additional camera (or two) fitted with Polaroid backs. Everything thing is backed up, all cameras are equipped with duplicate lens should something fail. Redundancy is the third key to success. The customized camera allows for an instant check of the lighting and exact location of all things "Nautica". The catch is the Polaroid image is the size of one 35 mm frame, but hey this is pre-digital and it works like a charm. Have we forgotten about meals, the crew needs to be happy, Wayne admits when he is in the flow of work he forgets to eat or fails to notice that the crew may need a meal break. So we are working hard but not as hard as the boss, his mind is in the shoot and insists on shooting an additional roll. And why not, all the keys are in the lock the set up is perfect. In his mind he knows that  nuance and security are paramount, Wayne shoots another roll.

 As I listen and look at the "Nautical" images I feel as if I am on location holding a bounce card in the Virgin Islands, I have included myself in the script.

It is clear that the keys to success are planning, pre-visualization and redundancy. A must if you ever expect to roll with the big boys, excuses are not accepted. To continue the lesson.... now back in his office Wayne decides to send only half of the film off to Kodak for processing...... A few days later anxious to view the results, Wayne finds that each and every image has been cut in half. Did you hear me CUT IN HALF!  Wayne calls the agency and imparts the news. Hearts sink into stomachs all sensory functions fade into black, the art director considers taking the 24th floor plunge. "But no wait, there is another roll of the exact set up,  remember how you bitched at my insistance on taking additional images?" Well?  The day is saved.

Moral; Plan Plan Plan Plan Plan Plan Plan Plan Plan Plan Plan Plan Plan Plan Plan Plan Plan Plan Plan

"Pixel Pot" Working

My Sunday was spent photographing the first annual "Longboat key Challenge", a rowing event open to  anyone who enjoys the sport of rowing. If you are not familiar  with Florida, Longboat key is a barrier island south of Tampa Bay on the west coast. Rowing has become a big deal here. We have Benderson Park, a world class rowing faculty that is not yet complete but holding significant events. On the upper Manatee River we have a Ivy League / collegiate training facility, in fact many of the local high schools now have teams that train and compete at both facilities. Kayak, sculling, paddle board and this weird lay-down and paddle with your hands board. are all thriving. We have a lot of water! So this guy who happens to be my brother in law, Urs Wunderlie, a pro sculler and organizer of this open water race across the bay, ask me to be the event photographer. Beautiful day, crystal clear water and a an enthusiastic group of rowers all with intent of having some fun doing what they love. My job get some photos as document and  promotion for the second annual race. 

The bay runs north to south  and the departure point, starting line is on the west side, putting the sun directly into my lens. This is terrific if you want silhouettes . Fortunately there was a dock near enough to the starting line to capture the exodus by pointing my lens south. So Monday, back at the office I discuss the event and problems incurred with Wayne Eastep, my intern photographer and now mentor. After listening to the process he uses to problem shoot a job, I realized that I had not done my preliminary work. I found out that often time when taking on a job Wayne will buy his own plane ticket to a distant land just to scout out location, make arrangements, watch the light and work test shots. Hell, I did not even have the foresight to drive the five miles to be at the race location the morning before. I did manage to get a few jam up picture's despite myself. I will now share the pearls of wisdom imparted to me from the master concerning preparedness. Better than wax on wax off....

"Luck smiles on the prepared"

Amateurs practice until they get it perfect, professionals practice until they cannot get it wrong"

"Pixel Pot" Film Stew

Film Stew is my own metaphor for the activities incurred during my first week of internship, allow me to lift the lid. My first activity was to move film sides from slide box's into clear plastic holders, sorting out various shoots into years for the purposes of copyright. One way to submit a copyright deposit is to group by year. So here I am dipping into  a heap, a pile, a stack, a slew, lots and loads of slide box's enjoying the "sort" as arm chair traveller. From the mountains of Kazakhstan, to a refinery on the tip of,  St.Croix, from inside a Yurt to the deck of a supertanker. My eyeballs were bloodshot by the end of the second day. As many as you already know I am a man of many questions and the slide material had me asking many. Where to put this? How to pocket the odd ball subjects, soon it became evident if Wayne and Patti were to ever to look for an important image and find it,  the hay stack  jumble I was creating needed to be rethought. I quickly came to see that many subsequent assignments took place over the years in one geographic location.  So what we settle on was to keep the location intact irregardless of the year. The first part of the path then became location -> client,  making the most sense for the purposes of retrieving specific images. Wayne's photographic career as an international photographer seemed to dictate this choice. Later we will copyright but not by year, for now my concentration is on organization. So the flow is; location -> client as one file, subdivided into a variety of  subjects.          So if you wanted a photo of a oil pipeline with a camel in the middle east you might follow the path: Kuwait -> Texaco -> pipeline -> camels. Sorting hundreds of slides into dozens of categories is no easy task. And to think that Wayne has thirty years worth of slides, film and digital files that add up to hundreds of thousands of images, that makes this a formidable project. Wayne stated to me to accomplish the job of cataloging, copyright and stock photography site, he might as well build a barrack and house teams of interns for the next five years. The energy and dedication in this humble office is impressive and inspiring, the job will be accomplished. Wayne's advice to me is to make a regular habit of cataloging and copyright as I go, something he did not do early on.

This is a bit of photographic inspiration pinned to the wall near my work station;

"To take a photograph is to hold ones breath when all the faculties converge in a face of fleeing reality. It is at that moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy"

Henri Cartier Bresson

"Pixel Pot" Eating Together, inmates 96B1091 and 96B1092

Now here is a story that I would not have read if it were not for the photographs. I was skimming the New York Times Sunday paper and fixed on the first photo below, nicely done, beautiful light. I urge you to look at the photos first, then read the story.....“I knew right from wrong. I knew better."
Run with it baby!

"Pixel Pot" Whats Cooking?

I consider myself lucky to have landed an internship with the renowned photographer Wayne Eastep. I need not tell you all the nitty-gritty on Wayne, please see for yourself, visit his websites and you will indeed see just how lucky I am. Wayne is an ardent believer in this great nation and the privileges that are granted to us by our fore fathers, the brilliant individuals that drafted our constitution. And... if you happen to be a photographer or an  aspiring photographer Wayne will enlighten you on Article 1, second 8, which reads; To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries. So few words such vast protection. Even better if you copyright they will back you up in courts of law should some one try and rip you off! I will be learning the finer points of running a photography business, from work flow to copyright and marketing. The bonus is in the viewing of some amazing unpublished images, I am certainly an aspiring photographer.

" Pixel Pot" High on Photography

The intent of this blog is primarily to make notes for my first ever intern ship. Along the way I will also post a smattering of summer photos, ideas, ruminations, inspiration, and perhaps a recommendation for a good beer. I will honer the writing style of William Faulkner, meaning often times I will take the meandering path. I believe learning to be the water of life, the zero gravity of never being on the bottom or the top that permits total freedom of movement. Beyond the daily lessons of life I am currently a student in the halls of academia. I attend the Ringling College of Art and Design, as a photo major. I am different then my average classmates, holding the dubious label of being a non-traditional student, humorously I refer to myself as an un-orthodox student. Why the label; because I am somewhat older, matter of fact more than twice as old. This may be true, but first and foremost I am a peer and struggle with the same issues as my younger counterparts. Benjamin Franklin put it this way "When you're finished changing, you're finished." My one advantage is that I understand the principle of failing my way up, this I have done many times over, and like Edison who tried 2000 times before successfully inventing the light bulb, I remain optimistic and persevere. So with out giving away the farm, (ceremoniously spoken) "For better or worse this blog has begun."

Stay tuned for "Pixel Pot" Whats cooking!