looks like a photo producer at disney's hollywood park got caught with 3 child porn videos...
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
flickr sucks (says its creators)
Interesting news - the creators of flickr, international photo sharing site phenom, have passed the reins onto someone else because their jobs "sucked."
I can't imagine why... dealing with creative commons, lawsuits, use of images without model releases or permission (such as the Australian advertising company that used a Flickr photo for a national Virgin Mobile campaign)...
I have to admit, I've steered clear of Flickr; I'm very protective of my photographs and don't want to have to deal with the above. I love the community concept and am awed by how far reaching its popularity is. I'm interested to see what ideas the new general manager has in store for this site.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
The demise of street photography
This Village Voice article exemplifies why I'm not really into doing street photography in the US: The NYPD Harasses a Photographer at Coney Island
In the places I've traveled to most people don't take issue with photographers shooting in public. Of course, there is random demand of being asked to pay after you've taken someone's photo, but that's just commercialism rearing it's lovely head. Quite honestly, if something is in the public domain a photographer has every right to capture it on film/digital so long as they are polite and discreet about it. Why don't we read articles from Laotians complaining about western tourist-razzis shoving themselves between Laotian monks to get "the shot"?
In the places I've traveled to most people don't take issue with photographers shooting in public. Of course, there is random demand of being asked to pay after you've taken someone's photo, but that's just commercialism rearing it's lovely head. Quite honestly, if something is in the public domain a photographer has every right to capture it on film/digital so long as they are polite and discreet about it. Why don't we read articles from Laotians complaining about western tourist-razzis shoving themselves between Laotian monks to get "the shot"?
Friday, June 13, 2008
Affordable Art Fair
Wish I could be in NYC to check this weekend to check out the Affordable Art Fair, which ends this Sunday, June 15. Check out scultpure demonstrations and tips for starting your own art collection on Saturday, or explore printmaking and children's art on Sunday. Have fun!
Friday, June 6, 2008
idea visualization and connection
This photo from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology depicts creative thinking and strategy in the works. I'm fascinated by a lot of things, most of them being things that make me wonder: how they hell did they come up with that?? A previous manager tried to teach me this brainstorming exercise, in which you (duh) brainstorm and then find the links between seemingly disparate ideas. It's easier to picture it through this photo. See the lines between the stickies? That's what I'm talking about!
Why am I writing about this? Well, it's because I'm trying to figure out how my various passions and interests complement each other. Aside from pure eclecticism and randomness, there has to be a connection or intersection between my love of photography, belief in arts administration and artist support structures, work experience in business consulting, and foray into interactive marketing, obsession with interior/surface design, thirst for knowledge about the creative economy, and burgeoning interest in design management and strategy. The links are there, I know it, I just have to figure out what it all leads to...
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Justin Guariglia – Ten Tips on how to photograph a foreign place from the inside
Justin Guariglia offers his tips on taking culturally accurate travel images.
To me, most of these tips are common sense. Some just crack me up. Par exemple, tip #1: "Have an interest in the culture you're photographing". Well duh, you made the effort to get all the way out there so I assume the traveler/photographer has some sort of interest. But I can see this being applicable to a fotog who has to come up with a story on small town-nowhere.
Buuuut, the more I read these, the more I feel that they are valid and good advice for all travelers, not just ones with cameras in hand.
The one I am most impressed by is #6, See movies or work of photographers from the region to get to know culture’s visual aesthetic. I simply hadn’t thought about this before, and I think its great research to do before traveling somewhere.
For techy people, refer to #s 4 and 5. Some people think that the more equipment they have the better the shot, and this (to a degree) is just not true. Photography is an aesthetic perception of one’s surroundings or ideas. One thing I didn’t like about the Karnow lecture was her comment that she is good at manipulating a situation to make it look real. Yuck, I hate the very idea of it. I love natural lighting and have only started using flashes November of last year. I love my SB-800, but you won’t see me trekking around Peru with 5 additional artificial light sources.
Tip #3 is vital in order to get a good local sense of the place. For example, the Lonely Planet guide was my father’s bible when we traveled to Vietnam. We hit all the restaurants it recommended and I really wasn’t impressed at all. About a week into the trip I caught a terrible cold in Hoi An and craved nothing but pho (beef noodle soup). We made our way to a local noodle stand where no tourists were seen. To the amusement and amazement of the shop owner, I devoured three bowls. That was the best damn soup I’ve ever had, and we wouldn’t have found it in Lonely Planet. Lesson of the story: you can use guidebooks to a certain point, but talk to the people there if you want a true experience.
Along with that is #8. At the Nat Geo lecture with Catherine Karnow back in February, she suggested walking around for the first few days with camera in tow but not shooting. This helps to slowly integrate you and not come off as the asshole travel-paparazzi (my interpretation of her words) to the locals.
#9 also stands true. Landscapes are beautiful, but that’s because you are experiencing it. Show people experiencing the beauty (or ugliness) of a place. It can only make your image stronger.
(P.s. I left out #10 because although I am guilty of this, I also feel that as a photographer you should be mindful and selective of the images you capture, and shooting on auto-mass mode doesn’t necessarily a good photo make).
Guariglia will be presenting a lecture at National Geographic on his experience photographing inside a Shaolin temple, whose monks rarely allow cameras into their environment. Let's see how he's incorporated his travel shooting tips.
To me, most of these tips are common sense. Some just crack me up. Par exemple, tip #1: "Have an interest in the culture you're photographing". Well duh, you made the effort to get all the way out there so I assume the traveler/photographer has some sort of interest. But I can see this being applicable to a fotog who has to come up with a story on small town-nowhere.
Buuuut, the more I read these, the more I feel that they are valid and good advice for all travelers, not just ones with cameras in hand.
The one I am most impressed by is #6, See movies or work of photographers from the region to get to know culture’s visual aesthetic. I simply hadn’t thought about this before, and I think its great research to do before traveling somewhere.
For techy people, refer to #s 4 and 5. Some people think that the more equipment they have the better the shot, and this (to a degree) is just not true. Photography is an aesthetic perception of one’s surroundings or ideas. One thing I didn’t like about the Karnow lecture was her comment that she is good at manipulating a situation to make it look real. Yuck, I hate the very idea of it. I love natural lighting and have only started using flashes November of last year. I love my SB-800, but you won’t see me trekking around Peru with 5 additional artificial light sources.
Tip #3 is vital in order to get a good local sense of the place. For example, the Lonely Planet guide was my father’s bible when we traveled to Vietnam. We hit all the restaurants it recommended and I really wasn’t impressed at all. About a week into the trip I caught a terrible cold in Hoi An and craved nothing but pho (beef noodle soup). We made our way to a local noodle stand where no tourists were seen. To the amusement and amazement of the shop owner, I devoured three bowls. That was the best damn soup I’ve ever had, and we wouldn’t have found it in Lonely Planet. Lesson of the story: you can use guidebooks to a certain point, but talk to the people there if you want a true experience.
Along with that is #8. At the Nat Geo lecture with Catherine Karnow back in February, she suggested walking around for the first few days with camera in tow but not shooting. This helps to slowly integrate you and not come off as the asshole travel-paparazzi (my interpretation of her words) to the locals.
#9 also stands true. Landscapes are beautiful, but that’s because you are experiencing it. Show people experiencing the beauty (or ugliness) of a place. It can only make your image stronger.
(P.s. I left out #10 because although I am guilty of this, I also feel that as a photographer you should be mindful and selective of the images you capture, and shooting on auto-mass mode doesn’t necessarily a good photo make).
Guariglia will be presenting a lecture at National Geographic on his experience photographing inside a Shaolin temple, whose monks rarely allow cameras into their environment. Let's see how he's incorporated his travel shooting tips.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Letter Cloud
This installation by Erin Shie Palmer is so cool. I have no idea what its like in reality, but the sense of mobility, airiness, and movement is effectively captured in this image. Unfortunately, I couldn't find much information related to the artist's intention behind this installation. You can experience this installation at the Wing Luke Asian Museum, said to be the only Asian American museum in the US. Though the majority of the collection are historic relics, but I hope that more Asian American-made art will be displayed in the future.
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