Epic Weather Returns

It seems like we didn't even have a winter, here on the Gulf Coast. 
Sure, the grass died and leaves fell. We had a few cool nights.

But, it never got cold and stayed that way. I never bothered to winterize anything and at the end of the season, I hopped on the lawnmower and turned the key, it started right up.
Not even cold enough to zap a battery charge?

With one 80 degree weekend down and another around the corner.. it looks like it's going to be a pretty season here on the Gulf Coast!

What is Art?

There is this theme in Software technology that is often picked up by Hollywood.  The idea of free information exchange.   Tron, Hackers, Sneakers, Antitrust.   All the movies that take place in the "computer universe" seem to wrestle with this notion.

A free thinking protagonist struggles to arrest the intellectual property from an antagonist with unlimited resources, often a government agency or multi-billion dollar corporation.

One of the treatises behind nesting dolls in ancient cultures was that a person is actually a community of "individuals" -- each very different and often contending for control.  

Since I've found myself exploring this "artistic" side of photography, it has led me to, for the first time, count myself, at least partly, as an artist.  This is at odds with my engineer self.

Recently, I went with a friend to pick up a piece of art he bid on during the a recent Arts Festival.  It was a hand-blown glass figure and he was thrilled to get it.   While he was picking up his new acquisition, I meandered the gallery appreciating the displays from a multitude of art forms along the walls.

For the first time, in my life, it occurred to me that some of my work could in fact qualify to be displayed in such a way, so I inquired as to what that process was like.

The work is submitted, then juried by a panel of judges in that specific art form.

Cool. Whatever, I may make a few prints and have a go at it.

But, as we drove off I thought a lot about what constitutes art.  On the extreme edges there are successful and sought-after artists creating paintings and incorporating their own DNA.   Taking their labors and "blood, sweat and tears" concept to a whole new meaning.

On the more boring end of things there are people like me.   Weekenders armed with a camera and a touch too many hours behind the computer.  Sculptors, painters, poets and writers.  Musicians & Dancers.  They .. could .. all be art.

More so, what qualifies a person to be the "judge" of anthers' art?   

I see art in the soft curve of an full sail and the hard lines of a Kimber 1911 Pistol.   I also see art in the gentle slopes of dunes and rolling arches of waves. 

I wish the world of art was a bit more like the free-reign hackers of those movies.. All information being equal and open to be consumed by others.. No judges. No contest.

I hope that the zeal of emerging photographers, designers, painters, musicians and other artists aren't easily squashed by the likes of a "juror."   Having received a healthy dose of coldly-worded rejection letters from Stock Photography aggregators and other "judges" for my art form, I hope that others are as thick-skinned as I can be.

If you enjoy doing it..  Judges and Jurors be damned.  It's your art.

Seeking Definition

 As he sat, at sunset beside a pier in Fairhope, Alabama, he reflected on his life.  He graduated High School "middle" of his class, just another kid destined to work in the train yards.  He fought a few tours in the war, yet those experiences didn't define him.

He settled down with a pretty young lady from his home town in Indiana and they were married.   A good looking couple, they bought a modest home near the River.  He did work in the train yards in the region.  He worked hard and saved what he could.   Yet, his career didn't define him, either.

They had three children, who, in turn, grew up to give them 5 grandchildren.   He and his wife loved their son and daughters and loved the grandchildren.

They vacationed in Florida, often in an RV.  Family would come and they would drink beer, shuck oysters and cook on an open fire.

As his grandchildren started to creep into adulthood the affects of time on his body could be felt.  His hands, rough from a lifetime of back-breaking work and his eyes, still the sharp reflections of his thoughtful 18-year old self.   One morning, he lost his wife to old age.   The loss was more than he could tolerate and the memory of her absence sting'd in the day-to-day moments to turn to recollection.  The pain of her loss didn't define him either.

He watched as his kids began to age, his grandchildren began to marry.   He took parts in the joy of their marriages and helped with the road bumps still being encountered by his own children.    Yet, fatherhood, did not define him.

He struggled with diagnosis codes and Dr visits, hospital stays and financial planning.   His health and strength began to leave him.   One daughter estranged.  One son, took time nearly every day to come visit and talk with him.  

Grandchildren began to act as caretakers and the visits… began to feel less frequent from the family in whole.  Work schedules, school schedules, daycare and Dr's visits of their own… The man's children had developed their own lives.   

They still visited.   They loved him, appreciated him and showed it. 

But, in the time between visits, his own failing health began to become more and more unbearable.   The thought of growing infirm and weak and worse -- the thought of being a burden on his family wore so heavy on his mind, that one afternoon, he laid in bed with his .38 and took his own life.

The grandchildren who found him were forever marked by the sight.   I was at work, 600 miles away when I received word of his passing from this Earth.   I remember what I was doing and I remember the longer-than-usual trip back to Indiana.

All of us remember him in our own way.   

Is that what defines his life?    

I remember, the strong and experienced, hard-handed and soft-eyed man, sitting beside the water and I thought of him, when I captured this photo of a stranger in Fairhope.

Join us Saturday, 3/24 for a Spring Photo Walk

Epic Weather is here and Spring has certainly sprung on the Gulf Coast.  Come join us for a photo walk at Historic Blakeley State Park in Spanish Fort, Alabama from 9:30am to 12:30pm CST on Saturday March 24, 2012. Organized by the Eastern Shore Camera Club and led by Flickrite, all-around nice guy and nature photography Extraordinaire, Brody J.

It'll be "loose and fun".  Stay with the group or do your own thing, I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities for photographic goodness along the nature trails and the Mobile Bay Delta.

Event page on the face space intarwebs:  http://www.facebook.com/events/206787166090018/

http://www.blakeleypark.com/

I'll definitely be there.   You don't need a high dollar camera to attend..  I may or may not have a camera with me.  I'm at the mercy of Sony's Laredo Repair Center and Amazon.com.    If no camera materializes this week, I'll just use a Camera Phone or iPad.

Speaking of iPad..  Being camera-less, I stepped out and snapped this with the iPad.   Looks as if they have the camera significantly improved in this iteration!

On a Chilly Morning, the Sun Went Nova..

A Portait of Nothing In Particular..

One morning, I was "still up" from a night of programming things.   Decided brisk, cool morning sunset was more inviting than my pillow and made it down to Gulf Shores for some solitude and camera time.

On the way back home, I decided to pop into this small nature trail I've always noticed but never stopped to traverse.    The trail wasn't as large as I thought but I snapped this shot towards Lake Shelby... A shot of nothing in particular but I liked the leading lines generated by the trees leading back to the condos..

The Ferry Door Greeter

I took a ferry ride on the way back from a visit to the sailmaker.   (How's that for a Jimmy Buffet songline?)  ..   As the ferry approached the Ft. Morgan landing and I was getting back into my car, I snapped this shot.

Planes.. on the wall.. Planes.. on the ceiling..

One of my remaining hobbies.. is to fly R/C aircraft.  I've built some pretty elaborate models, flown them, crashed them, rebuilt them....  Rinse, repeat.     A few years ago, however, I discovered the joy of impact-foam.

There are these very highly capable planes made of impact-resistant-styrofoam that come nearly completely ready to fly and for a fraction of the cost of the planes I used to fly.    What is most enjoyable about this route is that a person can spend the time flying - not building. 

As a result, I'm a pretty good R/C pilot.  Helis & planes, this "new" generation of moderately cheap R/C models allows a person the luxury to focus on flying skills instead of gluing skills.   

Given this hobby, I've always wanted a proper space to tinker and display aircraft that I've learned to fly.   I imagine this small 1 - car enclosed garage with some planes dangling from the celing or hanging from the walls.   I have no such proper location at this time but.. one day!

This is probably why I like the Naval Aviation Museum so much.   If I can find wonder in 2 or 3 floam flyers hanging from a shed ceiling, imagine the kid-wide-eyedness of seeing this place with their hundreds of actual aircraft on display :)

State of..Our.. Affairs

Anybody want to buy a small house with a big yard?   http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/19280-Hughen-St_Robertsdale_AL_36567_M74582-95619

I've been thinking about my dad lately.. Election season, maybe..

Dad was the kind of man who voted down party lines.  The thing is, it was always the opposite party of whoever was mutually agreed to currently control the power in this country.  He voted for President Bush (43) in his first term and voted against him in the second term.  He voted for President Obama but quickly turned to hate him, as he hated every sitting president.

I think dad did what an increasing number of Americans do.   He transposed any dissatisfaction in his current state of affairs onto the sitting Government.  "I am sick all of the time and poor, therefor the Government is bad."

|Don't get me wrong, I have my own opinons on the screwed up nature of Healthcare, Wellfare Programs, Economy and a host of Social issues...  

But I don't vote down party lines. 

Maybe the reason I was thinking of Dad wasn't the incessant barrage of robo-calls we've received this week but perhaps it was the decision to sell my house, pictured here. 

I can hear Dad's voice in my head, powered by an amalgamation of knowledge collected from Talk Radio, Both Cable News Networks, editorials and Sound Off he would formulate the opinion at this moment, that I am indeed insane for trying to sell my house at the bottom of the market.

He'd always have a fun and colorful way of expressing to me the lack of wisdom in my decisions.  Something like... "You would have to be a god-$@%d fool to try to sell your house in this market.."  

I never shied away from those chats..  Whether or not he was correct in his judgement, I always valued the input and enjoyed the colorful delivery.

I could also hear him say, "You are blankity - blanking crazy for posting photos of your house, with an address, online." 

Dad, if someone wants to come try to steal my 4 year old TV with weird colors (and are willing to risk life to do so..) .. I could always use the target practice.  ;)

I guess.. maybe I inherited some of his colorful delivery...  

good!

It's a Small World..

It truly is a small world.

My little family has long since outgrown the small house we bought when I was 18.

As we work to fix that house up and enter this dismal housing market, we have been pondering the potential of a move.  The adventurer in me would love to move…  elsewhere…   over seas, to some other country.    No time of year reminds me of the allure of being an expatriate like the circus of election season.  I digress..

l’m certain those distant shores will never been called home.  Remaining family and friends that are dear as family provide adequate anchor.   Besides, there are certainly worse places in which to call hone.

Speaking of it being a small world.    I moved here, around  ’92, from the small town of Borden, Indiana.   I attended elementary and middle school at the school some of you may have seen on the  news recently, the tornado ravished town of Henryville, Indiana.

My memories of Indiana have faded over the years.   I make it back infrequently enough to be counted as a bad brother, cousin, nephew.   You know how it is.  Life gets in the way.   It is always “that next project at work..”    or “that next field trip…” and when we do finally take a vacation, there often seem to be more alluring places to visit than the Ohio Valley.

Still, seeing my old home town on the news this week has provoked some poignant thoughts.  With thoughts turned to the loss of life and utter destruction, my heart reaches out to the people affected by this tragedy.  

Moments like these remind us that what happens in one part of our world, affects us at home.   We are, after all, neighbors.   

Lytro Embargo, Lifted

Since some time in December, I've been participating in Lytro's Professional Shooter Program.  During this time, I've been fortunate enough to carry a Lytro Light Field Camera with me, at all times.  My programmer obligations have kept me busy in February but I wanted to take some time to share with you my early experiences with the Lytro Light Field Camera.

The Layman's idea behind the light field camera is that the Lytro not only captures light in the manner of a typical digital sensor but also collects direction, intensity and other information.   The Lytro camera very cleverly combines this information into the concept of a Living image --- an image that allows you to interact with it at a later time.

While the technology will, at some point support 3D imaging through parallax recombination and lord-only-knows whatever awesome capabilities, the current iteration of features are more geared to "snap, now - focus later" implementations.

Here is an example image, taken with a Lytro pre-release camera @ Barrancas Nat'l Cemetary

Here is an example image, taken with the Lytro at Orange Beach R/C Hobbies & Powersports

 

This technology is going to be the bomb..

Food for thought..

One day, Light Field Technology will be incorporated for video.  High end DSLRs... even smartphones... No more shutter lag and with the right sensor, no more blur. 

To the point.. 

Make no mistake.  Light field technology, will indeed remake the digital imaging landscape.   The offering, now available from Lytro.com is certainly an impressive freshman effort.   The camera is well built with a very nice style.  The battery lasts forever.   The controls are clever.  The software is well done, solid and easily understood.   The screen quality leaves a bit to be desired.  The image resolution isn't massive and low-light performance is somewhat limited.  These few limitations are understandable, however -- at this price point.

If you are an early adopter and photography enthusiast, give these cameras a serious look.   They mark signs of things to come! The full gallery of my initial shots can be seen on Lytro's site, here:

https://pictures.lytro.com/graffitivisuals/stories/1760

Shadow Fingers

Dockside

The Impressionist Astronaut

And.. Here's a picture of an Impressionist Astronaut

Just Chill

I was looking through some shots.. I'd released some from this walk once before and somehow missed this one.   I liked the DOF provided by the beach chairs in the distance.   Have a great week, friends!

The Shadow Bridge

Ya know.. to get the whole thing in a shot.. you gotta walk a bit!

Looking Ahead

We are well within the first month of 2012. Do you have big plans?

It seems we all start the year with resolutions and -- I don't know about you -- but I rarely achieve mine. 
Not that I'm not driven, mind you-- I try; but things just don't always work out.

I have a feeling, however, that 2012 is going to be a great year for my little family unit. I'm working on a few projects, web apps, startups, iPhone and Android apps. Planning on getting out more with the camera, riding the bike more.. Hoping to postpone any major expensive vacations and focus on getting the house right. Might sell it and move!

Not really buying into the end of the world, stuff. But that's just me.

What about you, for 2012? Any major plans?

The Sun Peeks Through

Been a little too busy with work to write or post yesterday.   Just wanted to say Happy Saturday, Everyone!

The Shadow World

I kept snapping photos of this fisherman in the trucker hat.   For some reason, he reminded me of my grandpa.

Then, I happened to look to the horizon and see the folks on the other side of the rock ledge.  I thought it would be neat, to instead - focus on them.    Given what was happening with the light, I am surprised and proud to say that the cameras autofocus actually pulled this feat off, lol.

Time and Resources spent gathering the photos you see here..

Am I the only one that finds blacking out your website to protest free speech to be a little backwards?   I'd rather be heard in protest and go silent in one.  Just me.. so .. whatever..  Enough of that.  Good job guys.. no way the politicians will push that through in an election year, now..

anyway..

I'm working on a photo book.  If it sells not one copy, that's cool.  But, before this year is out I'll have some of my photos put in book form, even if I only publish 10 copies myself to give as Christmas gifts. :)

I don't think my stuff is "ALL THAT" and it is not a get-rich-quick scheme.  Simply a bucket-list item.   

One of my other resolutions has been to be a better friend.  In that spirit: I was catching up with this sys-admin buddy of mine that lives in the Louisville Area and he makes this indictment to me:

"I see all the stuff you post online.  You used to be one of the strongest software minds I've ever met.  A machine.   It seems as if you are wasting your time with this photography thing."

(he's not a Flickr, G+ guy.. yet. and yes I'm still busting my ass as a developer though I've never been as good as claimed)

I told him that he smelled bad and shouldn't still live at home with mom @ 40.  We said our graces, marked our calendars to insult one another in a few weeks and ended the call. (Skype)

I respect his delivery method for trying to inform me that I suck at photography.   Exaggerated flattery and then BAMM -- the gut punch.

That's how our relationship is though.  Brutal honesty and rudeness. 

Now, his opinion of my photography skill, I don't even care about.  We all have our opinions and that didn't phase me at all.  

The indictment of "wasting my time" however.. did get me thinking.

I'm not worried at all about wasting my time but I was curious.. to see just how many "photo outings" sourced a year's worth of posts.  It is an interesting question b/c as I look at a significant investment in another camera -- and having a perfectly epic Sony A77 in-hand.  I tend to mentally itemize the cost of the camera over the number of times it gets touched.

Here's what I found.   

I milk the crap out of a relatively small number of actual outings.  hehe.   

Extreme Honesty Hour, Begin.

32 Outings in 2011.

2 outings playing hooky from work (personal salary days, HR -- cool it) 

2 outings surrounding funerals/planning

1 vacation

2 weekend sailing trips

2 lighthouse - blue angel practices

1 local festival

1 daytrip to Battleship park

1 after-work tour of Ft. Morgan

1 Naval Aviation Museum Trip

1 Family-Beach Outing

1 Dance Recital Portrait Session

3 Family-Friend Portrait Sessions

1 "long way home" ferry ride from an errand

1 Charity St. Jude Walk

1 Sea Turtle Release

4 Christmas Outings

4 After Work Sunsets

1 Before Work Sunrise

1 After-Christmas Shopping Beach-Marina Walk

1 Lunch on Wolf Bay

My 2011 Photos are divided into two catalogs..

13,014 "Family Photos and Portraits catalog"

17,650 "Everything else catalog"

  -30,664 Total

    avg of 958.25 shots per outing

    divided by 1.5 if half of those were bracketed by 3

     = average of 638.83 unique shots in an outing

Year End 2011 Financial Recap (Photography Activities)

Number of Canvases Sold in 2011: 2

Number of Canvases Donated in 2011: 12

Canvas Print Costs: $1372

Hardware Investment: $2200

 Revenues from Portrait Sessions: $0

(did I mention, it was for friends?)

 Revenues from Canvas Sales: $124.00 

(did I mention, friends bought them?)

 

Estimated 2012 Financial Recap (Photography Activities)

Estimated price of Nikon D800 and 1 "Do - Everything" 28-300 Lens: $5200 (- $1800 Sold Nikon) = $3400.00

$105.25 per outing

Number of Canvases Sold So Far: 0

Number of Canvases Printed So Far: 6 (Located at the Wharf, Bravo Taco)

Number of Metal Prints Printed So Far: 5 (Located in a UPS Truck ATM)

 Print Costs: $790.00

Estimated Cost for Photo Book Per Copy: $24

Expected Retail Print of Photo Book: $MerryChristmas

I post all of this to say.. that if you look at your passions as a business, a waste of resources.  It seems insane.   Cut your losses and walk away, right?

No way, man.  The things I've seen in those few outings, the people I've met.

Wouldn't trade it for anything.

You can't put a price on what you love to do.   So don't.