Absolute Blogmusings from an absolutely blank mind It’s that time again!Another month, another POM…  
Flight of Imagination
This month I have chosen one of the images I made for the current round of SPARK (the project that pairs writers and visual artists for mutual inspiration. You can find a better description – and my contribution to the last round – in the archive). To get this image, I staked out a local office building where I noticed a gang of crows (“flock” seems inadequate) were circling late one afternoon. I liked the way the angle of the sun cast the birds shadows on the building as they circled, but naturally, as soon as I set up they moved on! I waited, and they eventually returned, but even then it took several attempts to get a picture that worked (they fly fast!). The bird on the roof is watching the one who’s shadow you can see, fly past out of frame. This was the image I sent to one of my writer-collaborators, to see what prose it might inspire. That process is finished now, but you’ll have to wait until the next SPARK! website is online before you can see the fruits of all our labors. In the meantime, why don’t you see if you can come up with some ideas yourself based on this image? (Click the thumbnail to see the larger image in the gallery) How the Pros do it..Ever wondered what professional photographers worry about? No, not the Pulitzer prize winning globe-trotting photojournalists, but the ordinary high-street folks. The ones who make a living from kids, weddings and seniors. This terrific new blog will give you some insight into their world. Five photographers with different areas of expertise share their experiences of business, photography and life. You don’t need to be a pro (…or even a photographer!) to find useful advice and great ideas. Check it out: http://thementorblog.net/index.php What’s this pic-of-the-month all about, then?
The Geometry of Summer Imagine an August midday in California. The sun is at its highest and shadows are harsh. The worst possible conditions for photography. After walking all morning, you just want a place to rest in the cool shade for a while, but the only option is some black metal furniture baking in the direct sun, on which you could probably barbecue a steak. However, as you approach the chair and table, you notice that the curves and circles of shadow seem to dance and whirl – teasing the lines and squares of pavement as if it were simply too hot and tired to do more than grumble at the indignity. In a few weeks these spirals and curves will move their equations and formulae back to the school classrooms. But for now, you realize, this is the geometry of Summer. A new POMBetter late than never, eh? But as you read in the last post, I have been a little busy updating the site. The new Picture of the Month for July is finally up! In case you don’t know, I usually showcase one new image each month, which may (or may not) make it into the permanent gallery, and while it is featured, it is offered at a special price. I picked this month’s image, “Cleaner”, because it includes several of the themes that you may be familiar with in my other portfolios. The simple geometric zigzag that divides the picture might put it into the “angles” set, especially with the familiar azure blue California sky above. The perfect triangle of light framed by shadow, might classify it as a “shadow” picture, and at the same time it is also an unusual environmental portrait that might fit my “people” portfolio.
Cleaner If you are curious, the guy is cleaning the roof of the El Camino hospital in Mountain View; the picture was taken about a week ago. A better website!I have been busy over the holiday weekend upgrading absoluteblank.com and rewriting much of the code. I learned my minimal HTML skills back in the day when “frames” were considered cool. Now, not so much. The main problem is that frames surround the page with a “wrapper” that makes it difficult to link to specific content. In the past, if you tried to bookmark a particular photo on absoluteblank, or send a link to a friend, all you’d get was the index page! Frustrating… All that is now a thing of the past. Not only did I rewrite things so I don’t have to use frames in the gallery pages anymore, but I also upgraded to the newest fastest version of JAlbum (the free program I use to generate my gallery pages). So you should find the site zippier and more pleasant to use, too. If that were not enough, I have also automated my process for adding new images. Since it is now less of a chore, you should expect to see new material more often. The main thing is that you can finally bookmark those photos you like, and send links to your all your friends! Here’s the link. Hope you like the changes! |
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