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To clarify – I’m not upset at the reception my photo work is getting on G+. I’m pleased with every comment, circle and +1 I get.

I just see the slippery slope mentioned by the author and the potential for the photo community there to be inundated by myspaceish copycats that distract entirely from the other options there are in the photo world.

G+, for me, has gotten so out of control with people following me because I was in a Circle that got shared and re-shared that my stream is now a wall of gibberish. For me, this makes G+ like most of the other places on the Internet, a whole lot of dross very very little ore.

I far prefer the validation and critiques of the smaller communities where I have some idea of the actual people involved. If I post a shot for review and critique here, I know people will give it more attention and thought than G+ or Flickr where my shot is a leaf in a hurricane of other photos. Even on Fark itself a shot that does well with the voters means not only have a taken a good shot but I have communicated it well to the audience. The D&D shot from last week was not a technically brilliant photo, U-Man’s crystal ball shot was in the same technical vein and far better done, it was what I was TRYING to do really but missed (though I see what U-Man did and can now emulate the effect!)…the only reason I did so well in the voting was whoring the audience, I knew if I loaded the shot with themes and objects they could identify with I would do well in the voting. That sort of learning has value as well, it teaches a photographer how to reach a market, how to please a client. You can’t that sort of validation on G+ because your market is so diverse.

I learn something almost every week shooting and posting for Farktography, and I feel more appreciated here than I ever will on G+ or Flickr. I use the others so I have my place in their world reserved, I pick up a useful article or idea…or even an idea to steal! All the rest is just leaves in the wind.

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Of course, now that I look at what I wrote, I also believe that part of my love for titles is the writer part of me trying to grab hold of the photographer part of me and scream “HEY! Remember ME?”

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I’m going to play a hard Devil’s Advocate on this with the caveat that a bad photograph cannot be saved by a clever title.

However, I think titles are highly underrated in photography. In literature EVERYTHING hangs on the title, the finest piece of poetry or fiction in the world will likely never be read if the title does not lead the reader to the story. In photography, however, the title serves a completely different role. The photo speaks for itself, the content, the composition, the style all of these open and apparent, what isn’t always obvious is WHY the photo was taken. The title of a photograph talks about the intent of the artist, the underlying reason, the unspeakable feeling that drove the photographer to press the button in the first place. Absolutely, a photo should stand alone, a title isn’t necessary but it can communicate a deeper meaning the casual observer of the photo, the “Oh that is a nice picture” viewer may miss. A good title provides a history, the before and even the after that a photograph, by the very nature of the medium simply cannot do.

A title cannot be a crutch, but it can be a pedestal for a photograph. It can raise them up, allow people to view them clearly, and part of that clarity is understanding my intent, my vision of the photograph.

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I was going to post something about “dangerous SLR” but GIS always surpises me,.. I present to you “Buh?”:

Yes it is an Iphone mounted to Canon L glass.

Oh HELLS no!

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U-Man the crystal ball shot is freaking awesome!

U-Man, that crystal ball shot is great.

Thanks and thanks. It made my wife go “Eeewwww”, so I knew it had the look I wanted. 🙂

I got one of these a while back.
http://www.amazon.com/Shutter-Release-Control-RS-60E3-Cameras/dp/B003Q9X770

It helped to be able to set it up for 20 shots. I’d knock off 20, look at them on my computer, figure out what to tweak and then do another batch. This was the very last shot and I got lucky. I didn’t plan the shadows on the sides of my face – but I sure like ’em. Makes me look like a werewolf with big chops. 🙂

I hate it when someone points out something so simple that missing it makes me feel like a moron! I was shooting my on a remote trigger and my Cheap Chinese Triggers(C) mess with my camera so I have to disconnect the trigger to see the LCD preview on the camera. What I COULD have done was just pull the card and review them on the computer without disconnecting anything.

Durrrhurrr

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I didn’t seriously consider using it but:

Kid, you’re doing it wrong.

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U-Man the crystal ball shot is freaking awesome!

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Moar Bees

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ennuipoet/6426534825/in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ennuipoet/6426528165/in/photostream

I am really nerding out for tonight, have been since the theme was proposed 😀

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Or of course, Dungeonmaster Girls:

http://youtu.be/RSt-3X-pK24

I like your natural 20’s

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…but they’re definitely not winning-style entries. Bah. Damn this school stuff for getting in the way of my photos 🙁

Must not start singing…must not sing…

“We’re Knights of the Round Table.
We dance whene’er we’re able.
We do routines and chorus scenes
With footwork impeccable.
We dine well here in Camelot.
We eat ham and jam and spam a lot.”

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Let me sing the praises of a reflector, particularly in outdoor portraits. The simple reflector does more to fill in shadows and provide a soft light for facial features than anything else you can conveniently carry or afford.

A major challenge you will run into is flattering lighting on a tall person. Standard portrait (Rembrandt) lighting is usually offset 45 degrees and 18 inches or so above eye level (to the subject). You can play with these numbers but unless you have light stands or an assistant, your model is either going to be seated or you are going to be very creative.

If you looking for some affordable Strobes and triggers, I bought a couple of YN560’s and Yongnuo triggers this Summer and have used them with good results. They can be a little frustrating to get the feel of at first, the instructions are not clear but once you get the hang of them they work beautifully. I bought two strobes, three triggers, gels and diffusers and still didn’t pay half of the price of 580EX.

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If at all possible, you should try to scout the venue before the show, or at least look for other photos taken at previous events to get an idea of the lighting and space. If you can take a tripod or monopod, do so, particularly if you are in a set space and cannot move around the venue. Ramp up your ISO as high as you can without losing detail to noise, I would say shoot in RAW but if you have to dump your images on site that probably won’t work.

Finally, and I learned this from shooting an event on ice, shoot your shots 1/2 to a full stop down from the meter, the lights reflecting on the ice will result in your meter over exposuring and blow out all your highlights and generally give the shot a washed out appearance. Also, you will gain some shutter speed from the meter down.

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The flail is my favorite part. My high school friends are hard-core geeks but none of us had asthma!

It’s more a take on a General Geek Trope…and linguine that song KICKS ASS!

/gasps on inhaler

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That’s not nearly enough dice though….

Oh, there are more in the bag, though nowhere near as many as I had back in the day. I honestly think the dice out weighed the books…and CISS, the asthma inhaler is mandatory for all Geek Bags!

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Here is an early B Side, it was intended to represent the ubiquitous “Gamer’s Bag” toted by nerds in the 80’s. In here lies the essentials to being a good Dungeonmaster, every reference book one might need for a serious game of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, dice, munchies, Mountain Dew, asthma inhaler and of course, a +2 Flail for those time when arguments over Saving Throws get out of hand.

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